Tag Archives: diaper rash

My third year teaching I was stricken with pink eye during my Spring Break, and it was HORRIBLE. My husband and I were watching the terribly made Stephen King movie “The Langoliers” when I started rubbing my eye incessantly. The itch and burn wouldn’t go away and gobs of questionable mucous were pouring out. Once you have pink eye, you never forget its symptoms.

Sometimes I get phantom pink eye where I find my eye feeling itchy and race to the bathroom to check, only to discover it is just allergies. Well, pink eye has struck the Humphreys again, but this time in my sweet, little, 5 1/2 month-old boy. Being a first time parent, and having wanted to be a parent for a VERY LONG TIME, my husband and I are very quick to call in the troops when anything medical arises with our son. I immediately call my sister and mom, he googles pink eye in infants till his typing fingers hurt, we call the doctors and get a hurried prescription, and we both arrange coverage for our classrooms to each take a half day off (I must admit I am pretty proud of our efficiency). I noticed the pink eye starting in Idan the night before. As he lay dreamily on my arms, I observed a pool of yellow and white liquid pooling in the corner of his eye.

On top of having pink eye, my poor boy has had a horrid run in with a bad case of diaper rash! I again, called my sister and asked her what she did when her kids had fire butt. The meaning of “Friday Night” has changed for me. My new Friday Night included sitting a half naked little boy with diaper cream and a towel on my bed, who now has both eyes invaded with pink eye, trying to watch a little TV. After several hours of this he started to feel better! So good in fact that my husband and I decided to spend our Saturday looking for a new TV. My husband and I have been wanting a new TV FOREVER. We still do not have a flat screen and use a good ol’ fashion TV…you know, the kind that still gets dust and is staticy when you touch it? We have been budgeting for a long time, and we finally decided that today would be the day! Fast forward two hours, and several comments from my husband such as “uh oh” and “I don’t feel so good” we left the store without a TV and instead my husband picked up a high fever and a massive headache that has led to…yes ladies and gentleman…the flu. *Sigh*

This has been the first time in my life that I not only have to take care of a little one who was sick, now I have to take care of the hubby as well. Welcome to the real world right? Through Sickness and Health right ? I have learned a lot this weekend about what it takes to pull up my big girl panties and take charge of my family and home. I have learned that once you become a mom, there is no sick day. You cannot call in for a sub, and take the day to lounge and recover. No folks, I have encountered my first bout of what it really takes to put other people before yourself, and you know what? It is empowering. (and exhausting ) Happy Health to everyone!